Scandal. Nothing else matters than your babies. She is the glamorous mom on tvs gossip girl. But separated, an ocean away from her two Young Children. Its crazy. This isnt happening. Its hard for you to even believe its real. Kelly rutherfords emotional battle. And it happened in a heartbeat. I just kept saying, oh, my god. A young woman steps out of a plane into a spinning propeller and lives. Did you see the propeller . I dont remember. I literally just remember climbing out of the plane and touching the ground. Tonight, in her first prime time interview, Lauren Scruggs tells her amazing story. You can move the fingers, Different Directions. And what she found. I dont think i would trade that. Welcome to dateline im lester holt. Its the kind of accident people dont usually survive, but Lauren Scruggs did. You probably remember when it happened. Lauren, a Young Fashion writer, stepped off a small airplane and right into the blades of a spinning propeller. Miraculously, less than a year later, here she is, in her first prime time interview, a dateline exclusive. Lauren and her family take us back to that terrible night and through her incredible recovery. Here is natalie morales. Reporter just a year ago, Lauren Scruggs future was bright. The beautiful girl her friends called lolo had big plans and even bigger dreams, as she pursued a career in fashion. I am Lauren Scruggs with lolo mag. At 23, she started lolo magazine, a website covering beauty, fitness and fashion around the world. Hi, im Lauren Scruggs and were excited to be here today at new york fashion week. Reporter lauren grew up in dallas, texas. Her parents divorced when she was young, but would later remarry after seven years apart. Their experience inspired their work today as marriage counselors. Their greatest joy, twin daughters, brittney and lauren. Laurens father, jeff, says lauren always sparkled. Theres a spirit about her that is just its contagious. That shes just so full of life. Reporter but in one awful moment last december, everything changed for lauren and her family. Its the subject they write about in a book, still lolo about their familys journey. They took us back to the night the accident happened, a night that was supposed to have been so much fun for lauren and her mother, cheryl. We had gone to church, lauren and i, and just went to some friends for dinner afterwards, like we always do. They live on an airport, so we ate dinner and they decided they were going to do some, you know, recreational flying, go look at Christmas Lights and everything. Reporter its common in this neighborhood around the airport where people share a passion for planes. All of a sudden, i hear someone running, and i just kind of looked up and she was bolted through the door, and she said lauren has been hit by the propeller and i just stood there and i didnt know what she was saying at first. And i just said what are you talking about . And she said lauren has been hit by the propeller, we have to call 911. A girl walked into an airplane prop, i need an ambulance immediately. Where are you, maam . 230 aero country in mckinney. Reporter lauren exited the plane, just like this one, while the engine was still running. The propeller, still spinning. At first, she walked towards the rear of the plane. But then, doubled back to the front, a fateful choice. Laurens father was at home when the phone rang. It was our friend calling me and telling me that lauren had been in this horrible accident. I just kept saying, oh, my god, oh, my god. And i was crying, lord, please save her life. Reporter as jeff raced to the hospital, lauren lay on the tarmac, fighting for her life. And cheryl faced a mothers worst nightmare. I could see the plane, and then i could can see lauren just lying facedown. And, you know, all i had at that point was prayer. Thats all i could do. I wasnt really sure what was happening. I didnt know if she was alive. And i couldnt see where the blood was coming from. She was lying in a big pool of blood. And i could see her hair down the back of her. You couldnt see her face or how bad it was yet . And all i could do was just cry out to god and just say, god, just save her life. Thats all i had. Reporter paramedics on the scene feared lauren would not live. Her injuries were massive. The prop had struck her across her left side, slicing open her skull, ripping through her eye, and severing her hand. She was medevaced to parkland memorial hospital. Orthopedic surgeon adam star was in the e. R. That night. She was really severely injured. She had an open Skull Fracture with trauma to her brain and chest injury, fractures of her clavicle, her ribs, open shoulder joint, and then a wrist amputation. So she was a bangedup kid. Reporter six surgeons operated for more than ten hours to save laurens life. Friends and family kept vigil, praying through the night. By morning, it was clear, lauren would survive. But tough questions followed. So at that point in time, you knew she was stabilized, but you were concerned that she might not be the same lauren, right . They told us warned us there was a potential that she wouldnt have the same personality. And that she may not be able to form a sentence. Reporter she might have trouble with words and speaking. Just she might not be the same person. Reporter with major brain and eye injuries, and a lost hand, lauren had a long road ahead towards a new normal. More difficult and, as it would turn out, more rewarding than she had imagined. [ timers ringing ] [ male announcer ] its that time of year. Time for campbells green bean casserole. Youll find the recipe at campbellskitchen. Com. Campbells. Its amazing what soup can do. [ gps ] hello dave. Oh, not again. [ gps ] dave, do you know where your wife went last week . She went to jared to look at tag heuer link lady watches. 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Not everythings about winning. I like to win. You like to whine. You do. Vo the bigger, brighter super amoled screen on the new Samsung Galaxy s3. Fashion writer Lauren Scruggs had survived being struck by an airplane propeller, but as she came to in the hospital, she didnt know how lucky she had been. Your first memory of waking up, what do you remember . I just remember being in my bed in the hospital and saying why am i here . Reporter laurens twin sister brittney and her sisters husband, sean, rarely left her side. Lauren was heavily medicated, and struggled to understand. Feeling a phantom pain in her left hand. She kept saying, will you please uncross my fingers . And i would just say, okay, well, let me come over there and ill tell you again what had happened, because remember that your hand is not really there, but it feels like its there. Reporter doctors warned, lauren could be in the hospital for months. Her outcome unclear. But with a fierce determination to recover and live her life again, she left the hospital after just three weeks, making it home in time for christmas. And now, in her first prime time interview, lauren tells her story about the night of the accident. Your father said perhaps you went back to thank the pilot or something to that effect. Do you think that was what you were trying to do in that moment . I dont think i was going back to thank him, because i thanked him in the plane. Reporter describe the tarmac for me, too. As i understand, it was pitchblack. It was pretty dark. It was. It was dark and rainy outside, and kind of foggy. Reporter did you see the propeller . I dont remember. I just i literally just remember climbing out of the plane and touching the ground and that was it. Reporter you know, you unfortunately have had to endure people who question whether or not you had been drinking that night. Right. Reporter to walk into a propeller. I know i wasnt drinking, and that wasnt that kind of gettogether or party or anything like that. So it doesnt bother me. I know whats true. Reporter the preliminary ntsb report states that the pilot instructed lauren to walk behind the plane. Lauren says she simply does not remember that. Do you blame him for this . No. I just think its an accident that has happened, and i dont blame anyone through it. Reporter the first time you looked at yourself in the mirror, after the accident, what did you see . I think i just saw the reality of what had happened, and i had my eye patch on, and i didnt have my hand, and half my head was shaved, and i was just thinking, wow. Thats not the way i have looked in the past. Reporter in her new book, she writes about dark days filled with anger and uncertainty. I was sure no guy would ever think i was attractive again. Much less what would want to marry me. I worried about my career, how was i supposed to type quickly with only one hand . Reporter there have been days where you would lay crying on your bed and not wanting to get out of bed at all. Right. Sometimes i think i would just wake up and think, did this really happen . I would think i had dreamt about losing my hand or something, and i would wake up and it wasnt there. The doctors even told me that losing a hand is like losing a Family Member or a sister, because its part of you. Reporter she was fitted with a prosthetic eye five weeks after her accident. She learned how to drive with one eye. And got a prosthetic arm seven months later. You say in the book the hardest thing for you was really losing the hand. When you were going through the process of getting fit for prosthetics, thats really when it hit you. Yeah. Because im thinking, im having to get this, and i never would have thought that, you know. And this one right here, this looks its so real. Yes. This doesnt move, right . No. You can actually move the fingers. Reporter uhhuh. Just Different Directions and stuff like that. But i have one that moves, but i like this one a lot. It just is the most natural and realistic. Reporter nearly a year later, lauren says her memory and speech are fully recovered. She is back working on her website, and she attended fashion week in new york in it september. She says despite her loss, shes living life with a new normal. This is your second home . It is, yeah. Reporter lauren took me to athletes performance, where she works out, building her strength. She says it has been key to her recovery. So this is the liner. And it protects my arm and also keeps this intact when im working out. Reporter many professional athletes work out at this facility. And when lauren was showing me her workout arms, a surprise visit. Oh, my, somebody jesse . How are you doing . Reporter jesse holley, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, makes lauren dance every time he sees her. To see her now, how beautiful she is and how hard she works each and every day, that makes a person like me go out and say, if she can do it, why can i not do it . Reporter lauren showed me just how tough her training can be. Lets see if youve got some game, natalie. Reporter she even challenged me to a push up competition. Shes a competitor, this one. Okay, we did it, whewhoo shes in shape. Reporter Lauren Scruggs stands as a lesson in fortitude and resilience. She faces her new challenges with grace and a determination to make the most of her Second Chance at life. Do you allow yourself to ever go down that path where you think, what if . No, i dont really let myself go to the whatif questions or why did this happen to me. I just i dont reporter you never ask god . Like, why has this happened to me . No, i just have learned through reading the bible, and also just growing up as a christian, ive realized that god will only put things in your life that he knows you can handle, and so my life has just deepened, and i dont think i would trade that. Coming up later, another powerful story of struggle and triumph. Christina aguilera fighting back. Part of the mentality of being a fighter and to survive through people taking shots. The intimate side of a superstar. But next, they hosted the party so popular with the military. Jill kelley and her lovely sister. They are lovely, lovely ladies. Theyre not shrinking violets, though. The latest on the petraeus scandal. There arto give one,f reasons but the message is always the same. Keep your heart open. And love will always find its way in. You did it, daddy. We did it. Every kiss begins with kay but i still have a runny nose. [ male announcer ] dayquil doesnt treat that. Huh . 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Thats always just right, no matter who youre shopping for. Find exclusive toys from bret michaels, toys r us® pets and Martha Stewart pets™ and celebrate the season with our selection of holiday toys. The fun starts in the toy chest aisle. At petsmart®. Happiness in store. ™ the fall of cia director David Petraeus has all the makings of a greek tragedy. A retired fourstar general brought down by an affair, after his mistress allegedly sent emails to a tampa socialite she was jealous. Turns out that tampa, home to one of the most important military bases in the country, was also home to one of floridas best party scenes. Heres josh mankowitz. Reporter the president ial election was only days ago, a potentially crippling budget crisis is only weeks away. And yet for the last few days, our nations attention has been fixed not on the fiscal, but on the physical. Welcome to america in the information age. Where the trivial often drives out the serious. Where the sensational can trump everything. And where we expect better behavior from our leaders than from ourselves. Thank you very much. Reporter that modern rule book cost cia director general David Petraeus his job, after he got caught having an affair with his equally married biographer, paula broadwell. When i heard the news, you could knock me over with a feather. Reporter colonel jack jacobs, awarded the congressional medal of honor, has known David Petraeus for almost 40 years. Young officers always gravitated to him. He was their ideal, if not their idol. Reporter the shocking fall of a genuine hero has been followed by a stream of strangerbythe minute revelations. They center on two women in the generals life. His mistress, and the woman to whom she had been sending what are described as anonymous and menacing emails. A darkhaired tampa socialite named jill kelley. Jill kelley and her sister natalie seemed very motivated to get in with the military elite. Reporter jessica is a reporter for the Tampa Bay Times she covers a society where black tie mixes easily with dress formal from u. S. Central command. And no one seemed to everyone joy that mix more than jill kelley and her twin sister. They invited people to parties, invited petraeus over. They wanted to be seen, and they worked hard at it. Reporter it was jill kelley who inadvertently exposed the affair between petraeus and broadwell when she asked the fbi to investigate those anonymous emails she was getting. But that inquiry also brought to light an he felt mail connection between kelley and general john allen, whose appointment to nato is now on hold while government investigators take a look at their relationship. A lot of people in town were already looking at jill kelleys lavish parties. Tampa bay party planner, ken walters. Jill kelley and her lovely sister, they are lovely, lovely ladies. Theyre not shrinking violets, though. They indeed do speak their mind. Some people commented on their dress, not always appropriate. Or their casualness approaching top military leaders and hugging them and kissing them on the cheek maybe wasnt always appreciated by everyone in the room. Reporter kelleys closeness with the famous generals seemed to open a world far beyond caviar cocktail parties. She received a pass to walk on to the local air force base without a military escort. And according to a new york businessman, she claimed general petraeus himself helped her get the title of Honorary Council to south korea. She made it clear she was close to general petraeus, she got this job from general petraeus and that, in fact, he used his influence with the south korean government to get her that position. Reporter adam victor says he met jill kelley while he was trying to land a multibilliondollar Development Contract in south korea. He says she offered to use that honorary position to help him, and in the process, help herself get some serious money from his deal. She seemed the type of person that wanted to get a deal done. We asked her what fee she would want. And she asked for a fee of 2 80 million. No serious person asks for an 80 million brokerage fee. Reporter a source familiar with jill kelley told dateline she never used general petraeus name for her advantage and never had a formal business relationship with adam victor. Whatever the case, jill kelley and her twin sister seemed drawn to money, status and powerful men. When i first saw this, my natural reaction was, this is like the kardashians take tampa. Reporter navy spouse, jaycee eckart is a writer about military families. She says this is going to make life more difficult for them. We need civilians to look at military and say those must be good people. Not those must be people eating caviar for breakfast. Reporter so heres your guide to whats coming next. Plenty of investigations. Denials. And accusations that someone did or didnt know. Should or shouldnt have been told. Remember, the only thing washington loves more than a scandal is handicapping who is going to be damaged by it. Coming up im just a mom, really. A tv moms heartbreaking reallife battle. How do you take two kids out of the country, away from their mother. Kelly rutherfords fight for her children. And the pop icon who has coped with dark moments. I started crying. Christina aguilera and the song thats too painful to sing. Features, not fees. H because we think your money should stay where it belongs. With you. The value you expect. The service you deserve. It feels good to bluebird. Get it at your local walmart. Good thing i packed a yoplait pina colada well heres some more afternoon delight, yoplait original is now made with natural colors, flavors and sweeteners. And you thought it couldnt taste any better. Yoplait. It is so good. Fire bad just have to fire roast these tomatoes. Do you churn your own butter what . Too . This is going to give you a head start on your dinner. That seems easier sure does who are you . [ female announcer ] new progresso recipe starters. Five delicious cooking sauces you combine with fresh ingredients to make amazing homecooked meals. Ambiance [ female announcer ] new progresso recipe starters. Your headstart to home cooked. Her tv show, gossip girl, may be pure soap opera, but Actress Kelly Rutherford finds herself in a very real courtroom cliffhang cliffhanger. A judge has ruled her two Young Children must live in france to be with their father. And the question for many in this controversial custody case is why. Here is andrea canning. Reporter on the set of gossip girl Kelly Rutherford was always composed. But in private, she was crumbling. I think every mother watching can sympathize with a mother not being able to be with her children. Its crazy. Its like what matters other than your babies . Nothing. What matters is that your babies are okay. Reporter imagine someone telling you that your kids, just 3 and 5 years old, are going to be sent nearly 4,000 miles away, to live in a foreign country, away from you, their mom. Why would you take the kids away from their mother, out of their school, away from their friends, everything theyve known and plant them somewhere else . This isnt happening. Its hard for you to even believe its real. Reporter but it is happening to her. She may be a famous, beautiful actress, but now Kelly Rutherford is a mom who has to Hop International flights just to see her own kids. A nightmare she says stems back to 2005 and a whirlwind romance with daniel gearsh, a charming german businessman. Did he sweep you off your feet . Yeah, he was intelligent and handsome and charming and it happened very quickly. Reporter daniel was known in germany as a savvy, selfmade millionaire, and had successfully sued google for a domain name he registered there, gmail. He told German Television he had fallen hard for the american actress. Translator we knew from the beginning, it was so on. Reporter within three months, the couple was expecting a son. And in august, 2006, just before baby hermes was born, kelly and david got married. What was it like in the beginning . Was it bliss . I was excited to be a mom. I was very excited. And i was a very handson mom. Its lovely. Reporter and then in 2007, kelly landed the coveted role of lilly vanderwoodson on the new show gossip girl. I would be nursing in the makeup room getting my hair done. Hermes grew up onset. Reporter life seemed so glamorous. Germany tv featured the couple in a story about a green home daniel was designing himself. But kelly says behind the cameras life was hardly all bliss. When did things start to go south . I think there were signs early on. Arguments that were started for kind of no apparent reason. And then just sort of disappearing and not saying where he was going and then coming back. Reporter then, when kelly was pregnant with their second child, the actress says the marriage fell apart. Just two years after they wed, daniel filed for divorce and soon kelly says things got ugly. He was filing to take the kids away from me, and i you know, i hadnt even given birth. Reporter when baby helena was born in june, 2009, daniel lashed out at kelly in the press, claiming he only found out about his daughters birth from the tabloids. The truth is, he knew that i was in labor and that i was at the hospital. I just didnt want him right there, because it was very painful. Reporter you chose not to put him on the birth certificate. Were you angry at the time . I was very, very hurt. Reporter the couple was ordered to share custody of the children, but the two bickered bitterly over the details. Daniel accused kelly of trying to alienate him from his own kids. Its like someone declared war. Reporter the angry fighting continued for years, and then this january, daniels u. S. Visa was suddenly revoked. He was in europe at the time, and with no visa, could no longer get back into the u. S. To see the kids. So kelly began taking them overseas to see him. I was on a plane three weekends a month. Reporter but kelly wasnt prepared for what happened next. In august, a los angeles judge ruled that the couples children must move to france to be with their dad. He had been living there with his mother since his visa was revoked. How do you take two u. S. Citizens, little kids, out of the country, away from their mother, because the fathers visa was revoked . I would think that, you know, their rights are being violated. Reporter the judge, teresa bodet, told dateline she is prohibited from speaking about the case. But called it one of the hardest she had to make. In the ruling, the judge criticized kelly for not doing enough to maintain daniels relationship with the children, like refusing to put daniels name on helenas birth certificate. She said both children have an extraordinary bond with their parents and because kelly can travel and daniel cant, it was the only way to preserve those bonds. In her ruling, she also requires daniel to provide kelly with plane tickets, a car, and a place to stay in france. Why not have you be the parent, having to go see them, when he was called an excellent dad . Well, because i was called an excellent mom, too. It wasnt about me being being anything wrong with my mothering of my children. Nothing. So, i mean, im being punished for being, you know, a good mother and for taking care of my children . And hes being rewarded for having his visa revoked . Our kids are u. S. Citizens and they have a right to be raised in the u. S. Reporter steve madell is the managing partner of one of the largest family law firms in l. A. He wasnt involved in kellys case, but has handled his share of controversial custody cases, and says in this one, the judges hands were tied. Dad is not allowed to reside in the united states. As a result, somehow or another, the children have to be transported. So somebody is going to have to bear that transportation burden. I bet there are people out there who rush to judgment, Kelly Rutherford must be a bad mother. How could a judge take children away from the mom, what did she do wrong . Yeah, of course. Reporter infuriating . No, its not infuriating, its not hard. Because im asking myself the same question. Reporter the judges decision is only temporary. Stipulating that daniel must do everything he can to restore his u. S. Visa, so that eventually the children can return to new york. But kelly is angry the kids were sent to france at all. Especially with the lingering question of why her exhusbands visa was revoked in the first place. Im sorry, you need to show us why you cant come back into the u. S. Before we start sending u. S. Citizens all over the globe. Reporter the state department does not release information about why visas are revoked. What kelly does know is that a private investigator who looked into daniels Business Practices in the u. S. Passed along her findings to the u. S. State department, and later, one of kellys own attorneys also alerted immigration authorities about potential issues with daniels visa. One of daniels attorneys told us he cant discuss the visa situation, but in a statement on daniels behalf, called it unfortunate that kelly is taking an aggressive Public Relations approach and says the children are happy and thriving. Now as her attorneys work on an appeal, kelly copes by skyping with her kids every day. She has been to france to visit them several times, but says the visits are bittersweet. How painful is it for you when you have to say goodbye . Its really painful. Its almost where you cant even go there, because if you acknowledge it, youll fall apart. Coming up these are your digs . At home and behind the scenes with Christina Aguilera. Could be sitting in sweats and flip flops. When dateline continues. But theyre only here for a little while. [ male announcer ] the new cbo from mcdonalds. On angus or premium chicken. The simple joy of being in love. My love. You spend all day cooking it. So why spend even a moment considering any broth but swanson . The broth cooks trust most to make the meal folks spend all year waiting for. In stuffing and more, the secret is swanson. But kissing is at an alltime high i want answers oh. Right. Kay. [ female announcer ] its true, every kiss does begin with kay. Where you can save 25 on any bulova watch. Bulova. Designed to be noticed. At kay, the numberone Jewelry Store in america. Ohhhh. Right. Every kiss begins with kay [ man ] hello hello [ all ] ohh that is crazy are you kidding me . Let me see oh what thats insane noooo mr. Woodson . Oh hello hello [ whistles ] hello [ all ] hello [ coach ] caleb, ive got someone want you to meet. Hello. [ male announcer ] at t. The nations largest 4g network. Covering 3,000 more 4g cities and towns than verizon. Rethink possible. Shes the sexy superstar of but tonight youll see another side of Christina Aguilera. Just a little tv show. Its a real juggling act, isnt it, for you. Its intense. Its really, really crazy. But its my life. Its nothing, you know, out of the ordinary for me to have a lifestyle thats just go, go, go, go. Ive been doing it for a really long time. Reporter it has been 13 years since Christina Aguilera exploded on to the music charts as that teen idol with the come hither look in her first video, jeannie in a bottle. Reporter since then, that jeannie is all grown up, and may now be at the height of her powers as a coach on nbcs hit show the voice. Something that breaks your heart, sing about it. Reporter and how does this superstar spend her friday night . Hello. What is that a secret is that a peephole . Hi good to see you. Welcome to l. A. Wait, these are your digs . Yeah, this is my home where i can retire. Oh, and here comes the dog. Which one is this . This is nugget. He was a rescue. Hi, babe this little puppy. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, hes a sweet pea. Hes disinterested in me. Hes scrappy. Is he . Yeah, hes a tough little guy. I like the theme we have going here. The red, the whites. I know. I love color. We sat ourselves down and got right to it. If you had the choice of sprinting like you do or cozying up on the couch and just in your sweats and being cool, which would you choose on any given day, do you think . Oh, sweats. I would be sitting in the red chair in my sweats and flip flops and just hanging out. Reporter and hanging out with christina wasnt what we expected. She let us into her private world, sharing some intimate family moments. The scenes you dont see everywhere on the voice. And in our interview, a surprising shyness. All of this from the woman who has been shocking us for a decade with her outrageous outfits and sexy moves. Bumping and grinding in her video dirty. Want to get dirty reporter and strutting her way through her latest, your body. Whoa, whoa, whoa reporter at 31, christina is already a bit of a show biz veteran. She has won five grammys and sold more than 40 million records. Even created her own fragrance line. Oh, and theres that little tv show, too. Youre a total star. Reporter and how ironic is it that this chairspinning coach broke into show business on the other side as a 9yearold contestant belt south a a sunday kind of love on star search. A sunday love reporter it may seem incredible now, but back then, she lost the big prize. Champion once again, christopher esum. Reporter when they announced the other kids name, what was the first thing you thought . I was heartbroken. After the show, i put my little glasses back on and i was like they were all steaming and fogged up, because, you know, i had never experienced Something Like that. Its heartbreaking, because i think also when you feel music so deeply and youre so connected to it, its just your everything. Reporter and awe chatted on her sofa, christina told me what first got her singing. Believe it or not, the sexy sounds of her video fighter really began with the hills are alive with the sound of music reporter the sound of music . That was the thing that made me want to be a singer, is Julie Andrews up in those hills, the hills are alive, that sound track is a piece of my heart. Reporter so what did you like to sing when you were a kid like that . Oh, god, i can recite them all. Reporter even some of the lesserknown tunes like this one, i have confidence. What will this day be like what will this day be like i wonder what will my future be i wonder this could be so exciting to be out in the world to be free my heart should be rejoicing whats wrong with me i could go on. But you know that song, right . I love it more now. That wasnt real singing. I was just playing around. Reporter and christina found other idols, like soul great, etta james. At last oh reporter at her funeral earlier this year, christina performed james signature tune, at last. At last i was always drawn to soul singers, and blues records, because that stuff had the pain and the grit and the heart. It was real. You know . Something i could feel. Reporter pain she had felt firsthand. She says she grew up seeing her dad abuse her mom emotionally and physically. They divorced when christina was 7. When you close your eyes and you think about the time when you were the most afraid as a little girl, what comes up in your head . What do you remember . I wrote a song specifically about this, where i literally curled up in the corner of the studio, we set the mic up on the floor, and i recorded it, just with my eyes closed and i started crying. And it goes through how it felt. Reporter christina doesnt often perform that song im okay because its so wrenching for her. But she did sing it on this vh1 storyteller special. It hurt me to see the pain across my mothers face every time my fathers fist would put her in her place over the years, you know, you make peace and part of the fantastic things that im able to make peace with my past with, and growing from there is having my own son and being able to make the right choices for him. Reporter these days, she is raising her 4yearold son, max, and balancing home life with her day job, where she takes her role as a voice coach very seriously. You do your runs really well. You execute them really defined. You know, whenever i push that button or whenever i turn around or whenever im even, you know, in an elimination situation where you have to choose someone to stay and send the rest of your team home, its gu gutwrenching. My choice this is so hard. Reporter she also draws on her savvy from 20 years in the business to advise her team. Dont let anyone or anyones opinion ever define who you are. And i didnt win a Television Competition years ago early on in my career, but that never stopped me. Reporter nothing ever stops christina. But heres another side of her you may not know. The humanitarian. We are beautiful reporter when Hurricane Sandy struck staten island, her hometown, she raised her voice, singing beautiful for nbcs telethon. Reporter and she circled the globe in her fight against world hunger. Last month, secretary of state Hillary Clinton recognized her for that work. There youre in the picture with Hillary Clinton. Im like, this is fancy. That must have been quite an honor to get an award like that. It truly was. Hillary is such a bright light in a room. Man, i just have so much respect for a woman to be under the microscope. Reporter and christina certainly knows about living under the microscope. Coming up. Theyre not just coaching against each other, but making music together. At the voice. We go behind the scenes. Wanna see me get some great deals . Its a new way to get cash back deals, and its called bankamerideals i sign into my Online Banking. Click the cash back deals tab. And pick the deals i want. I just use my bank of america debit or credit card when i pay, and then i get up to 15 cash back put into my account. I know, right . 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Christina aguileras new video may be entitled your body, but throughout her career everyone seemed to have an opinion about her body and how she chooses to display it. She has never held back exposing herself, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not, making her a frequent tabloid target. Im a risktaker. People can take shots i make it easy for people to take shots, because i dont play it safe. I find it very boring in that place. And im an artist and i like to express myself. Reporter comedian Chelsea Handler recently fired off a few shots when she interviewed blake shelton. I like christina, i think shes great. I just wish she wouldnt come out in her underwear. I like it. Shes a comedian, i get it. Everybody is allowed to poke fun at everybody. Reporter but in christinas world, the latest feeding frenzy has gotten more personal, focusing on her weight, with snarky headlines on gossip sites and twitter. It all prompted her fellow voice coach adam levine to speak out on the ellen show this week. Just leave her alone. Come on. [ cheers and applause ] its a very basic thing. She should be left alone and no one should haggle her over her weight or anything she does or says. So thats it. Thats how i feel about that. Reporter does it ever bother you . And i think everyone in the public knows the feeling. Youre a target, they love your music, theyre going to say what they love and dont like. Does it ever hurt your feelings . Of course. I write songs about that. Yeah. Absolutely. Its the business that ive chosen, its the business that im in. Its part of the mentality of being a fighter and to survive through people taking shots. Reporter that survival instinct has carried her through some hard times. Two years ago, she cancelled a tour for her album bionic. Let me hear you say yeah reporter and her movie burlesque was a box office disappointment. Then came her divorce from music producer jordan bratman. Her focus now is on raising their 4yearold son, max. They say that every mom wants their child to have a better life than they had, a better upbringing, a better oh, hello nugget. So what are you doing for max that you hope improves upon the kind of childhood you had . Well, i think im definitely accomplishing that goal thus far. Just because no matter what, i know that he is in an environment that he is surrounded by that makes him very safe. Ill get all teary. But, you know, i just hes my heart. Hes my world. I just hes just my baby. Mommy . Were going to decorate the cake for you. Reporter christina shared these intimate photos and home movies, and that bond between them shines through. She has built her world around max, literally. Writing and recording at this studio at home to be with her son as much as she can. Reporter okay. That was for my special reporter ill never forget that. That was so great the etta james picture. Me and cher. Photo booth style. Reporter i love it. This is where the magic happens . Yep, this is where all the create consistityist. Reporter the studio to collaborate would her new friends from the voice. She and adam worked together last year on tir number one hit, moves like j and she recruited blake for one tune. And she brought celo on board, too. We caught them backstage as they got ready to debut their song. And then it was time to make the world move. Make the world move reporter and boy, did they ever. Come on and make the world move reporter his voice is unique. So unique. Come on and make the world move reporter yeah, yeah, thats it. A whole thing. I love it. What was going on with that jerry curl head the other day . We dont know. Reporter what was happening . I love him. Wow, that is a fullon jerry curl. Hes just fearless. And he works it, too. Reporter he does. Oh, he loved it. Shaking it in the face. Reporter christina said she is going to miss playing with the boys on the set of the voice next spring. She and cee lo green are taking a break while shakira and usher fill their chairs. Shell tour her new album lotus. She says she chose that title because its an unbreakable flower that stands the test of time. Thats a goal for herself and her music. There is something im getting about you. First of all, youre off on stage, out there, and this stuff, but there is a shyness. Its funny, because im sitting here thinking, i sense a real i mean, its beautiful to me. There is a place where you feel more comfortable. Im very much two people. One is the extra averted performer and then there is definitely the little girl that just kind of needs to be held and comforted and, you know, just wants to be heard. Hearts stop and beat as one forever thats all for now. Im lester holt. Thanks for joini. More on the man who triggered a security scare at a bay area airport. 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